Any chance I'm already a dual citizen?

[Jeremy + Kristy 0]

My mother was born to German parents in Canada after my grandparents were already Canadian citizens (I think). After my grandparents emigrated from Canada to the US and became US Citizens, my mother did as well by virtue of being a minor child.

Even if so, would pursuing this route be easier for me, anyway? Our plans are for her to move to the US with me, and get married in the States. Another option would be for me to sell my house and move to Canada, and continue to work in the US.

[CutienPurg 0]

http://www.richw.org/dualcit/

Give that look and see if it maybe addresses your situation.

Good Luck

[Otto 83]

With your mother being born there, there is a possibility..depends on some things..

Check this link...scroll down to DE/Germany and click on YES/NO to see the full story on Germany..

Germany/Dual Citizenship<--really good link

[Killer_Clown_2009 0]

It would depend on your date of birth. If your mother was born in Canada, she would still be considered a Canadian citizen even after she emigrated to the US.

You are a Canadian citizen if you were born outsideCanada and:

you were born after February 14, 1977; and

you had a parent who was Canadian at the time of your birth.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizen/bornout-info.html

Edited March 28, 2007 by jane2005

[Killer_Clown_2009 0]

Sorry that info is for people whose Grandparents were born in Canada and parent was born outside of Canada.

You'd be considered a Canadian Citizen based on your mother's Canadian Citizenship and would need to apply for a certificate of citizenship in order to prove it.

[Killer_Clown_2009 0]

Ha,

Ignore everything I've said above, here is the correct info (which is really somewhat complex).

Any person born outside Canada from 15 February 1977, who has a Canadian parent at the time of birth, is automatically a Canadian citizen by descent.

If the Canadian parent is also Canadian by descent and the other parent is not born or naturalized in Canada, then Canadian citizenship will be lost on that person's 28th birthday unless the person successfully applies to retain Canadian citizenship.

Those born outside Canada between 1 January 1947 and 15 February 1977 are generally not Canadian citizens unless their birth was registered with the Canadian government before they were two years of age (and neither they nor their responsible parent subsequently lost Canadian citizenship by becoming citizens of another country before 1977) OR they applied for Canadian citizenship by descent before 14 August 2004. Applications for citizenship by descent fell into two categories: 1) delayed registration of birth abroad, which, when granted, made the person a citizen from birth (as if the birth had been registered with the Canadian government within two years as required by the 1947 Citizenship Act), and 2) a facilitated grant, in cases where the Canadian parent was the mother, not the father. The latter was not retroactive, so does not make children of the grantee born before the grant, Canadian citizens.

One class of Canadian citizens by descent who can still claim citizenship are those whose births were registered as required by the 1947 Act, but who then lost their Canadian citizenship when their responsible parent (normally the father) became a naturalized citizen of another country. In 2005, the Canadian Parliament passed a law allowing such persons who lost citizenship as minors to apply to resume Canadian citizenship without a residency or background-check requirement.

[zyggy 9]

It would depend on your date of birth. If your mother was born in Canada, she would still be considered a Canadian citizen even after she emigrated to the US.

You are a Canadian citizen if you were born outsideCanada and:

you were born after February 14, 1977; and

you had a parent who was Canadian at the time of your birth.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizen/bornout-info.html

Actually no... if her mother become a US Citizen becuase of her parents becoming US Citizens before 1977, she (the mother) would have lost her Canadian Citizenship... it sucks, but that's how it worked... there's been some significant probles involved with the old provision of the Canadian Citizenship law... there have been many stories of people who had gotten another citizenship for some reason, subsequently moved back to Canada and lived their lives only to be told that they weren't Canadian Citizens when they applied for a passport for the first time...

This happened in my family, my aunt (my grandmother's sister), got married to an American moved to the US, had kids and subsequently become a US Citizen.. because of that she lost her Canadian Citizenship and her children did as well.. My grandmother did the same thing.. married an American, moved to the US and never became a US Citizen until the 80's (so she could get Social Security outside of the US)... because of this simple matter of timing, my mother and I are Canadian Citizens.. my cousins from my aunt are not...

Hence the reason for the provision in the Citizenship Act for an expiditious method for these people to reclaim their citizenship...

Edited March 28, 2007 by zyggy

[zyggy 9]

Ha,

Ignore everything I've said above, here is the correct info (which is really somewhat complex).

Any person born outside Canada from 15 February 1977, who has a Canadian parent at the time of birth, is automatically a Canadian citizen by descent.

If the Canadian parent is also Canadian by descent and the other parent is not born or naturalized in Canada, then Canadian citizenship will be lost on that person's 28th birthday unless the person successfully applies to retain Canadian citizenship.

Those born outside Canada between 1 January 1947 and 15 February 1977 are generally not Canadian citizens unless their birth was registered with the Canadian government before they were two years of age (and neither they nor their responsible parent subsequently lost Canadian citizenship by becoming citizens of another country before 1977) OR they applied for Canadian citizenship by descent before 14 August 2004. Applications for citizenship by descent fell into two categories: 1) delayed registration of birth abroad, which, when granted, made the person a citizen from birth (as if the birth had been registered with the Canadian government within two years as required by the 1947 Citizenship Act), and 2) a facilitated grant, in cases where the Canadian parent was the mother, not the father. The latter was not retroactive, so does not make children of the grantee born before the grant, Canadian citizens.

One class of Canadian citizens by descent who can still claim citizenship are those whose births were registered as required by the 1947 Act, but who then lost their Canadian citizenship when their responsible parent (normally the father) became a naturalized citizen of another country. In 2005, the Canadian Parliament passed a law allowing such persons who lost citizenship as minors to apply to resume Canadian citizenship without a residency or background-check requirement.

Yes, but their children would not have been able to claim Citizenship because of their parent's renewed Citizenship... again, based on the scanario presented above, I do not believe that the OP is eligible for Canadian Citizenship... but it appears that her mother is...

If this is for the opposite (wanting to become a US Citizen through his mother a few things needed to happen depending on when you were born..

Your mother would have had to have lived in the US for 5 years (10 before 1981 or so) before you were born with 2 of those years being after the age of 14 (or 5 in the old rules). If your parent didn't fulfill those requirements, then you would not be a US Citizen...

Edited March 28, 2007 by zyggy

[Jeremy + Kristy 0]

Thanks, zyggy.

I'm the Jeremy of "Jeremy + Kristy" (and probably will be most of the time, as my fiancee probably won't actually post on here), by the way.

I figured that would be the case, but my mother is now deceased, so she couldn't apply to retain her citizenship. I'm not necessarily sure how that even if I could claim Canadian citizenship that it would necessarily expedite our plans.

[meauxna 15]

Thanks, zyggy.

I'm the Jeremy of "Jeremy + Kristy" (and probably will be most of the time, as my fiancee probably won't actually post on here), by the way.

I figured that would be the case, but my mother is now deceased, so she couldn't apply to retain her citizenship. I'm not necessarily sure how that even if I could claim Canadian citizenship that it would necessarily expedite our plans.

Don't feel too bad about it Jeremy. You and I can start a club for misfit wanna-be dualies.. I missed out on my Can citz too. (wouldja believe my mom natz'd to USC right in '77?!)

PS: I don't think it would've helped your US immigration plans, but it would be nice!

[Caladan 19]

C.'s cousin, whose mother is British, had a problem like that. Not quite sure of the details, but it involves him thinking he has Canadian citizenship, moving to the UK to school, and discovering when he tries to return that he doesn't have Canadian citizenship (or resident status) and ends up over there for 9 months while they sort out the paperwork problems.

[zyggy 9]

Thanks, zyggy.

I'm the Jeremy of "Jeremy + Kristy" (and probably will be most of the time, as my fiancee probably won't actually post on here), by the way.

I figured that would be the case, but my mother is now deceased, so she couldn't apply to retain her citizenship. I'm not necessarily sure how that even if I could claim Canadian citizenship that it would necessarily expedite our plans.

Sorry.. it wasn't quite clear to me who you were referring to...

But yes, you are not a Canadian Citizen... I know it stinks... Parliment was talking about passing a law so that you could get yours back as well, but it died with the previous government...

[cmartyn 0]

Ack, My brain hurts just reading this thread. I just applied for my Citizenship card. It took 6 1/2 months from filing to getting the card. Iffun You are interested.